Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1181

Alexia wasn't there to greet Jenkins, as she wasn't in the city. Dolores explained that her friend had left on Saturday for the southern mountains of Ruen in search of some special ores and wouldn't return until the following day. As a result, Dolores would be his host for the day.

Jenkins was naturally disappointed that he wouldn't get to see Alexia, but since he was staying for a week, they would have plenty of time to spend together.

The princess was dressed exquisitely today, a fact Jenkins noticed the moment he stepped into the carriage. She looked ready for a formal ball, clad in an elegant, light blue gown with a full, flowing skirt. Its waist was cinched tightly, and the skirt was given extra volume by a hoop structure underneath. While the neckline was modest, it was adorned with intricate lacework that extended up to her shoulders, meeting the small red capelet draped over them.

"Are you on your way to a ball?"

Jenkins finally voiced his curiosity.

"No, this is just my usual attire."

The young princess replied, her cheeks flushing. Before she could work up the courage to ask, "What do you think?", Jenkins took the initiative. He praised her dress and her overall appearance, paying special attention to how her smooth, lovely hair perfectly complemented the small, diamond-encrusted silver tiara she wore.

Dolores struggled to maintain a dignified and refined expression, but the smile that played on her lips betrayed her true feelings. Beside her, Julia fought the urge to cover her face, marveling at the young man across from them. She couldn't fathom how, in just half a year, he had transformed from being as socially awkward as a stone into the smooth gentleman he was today.

The morning had been spent contacting Nolan, so by the time Jenkins settled into Dolores's carriage, it was already noon. The first item on their agenda was lunch, and the cat had a premonition that the week ahead would be very interesting indeed.

Jenkins enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant lunch, and his accommodations at the estate for the next few days were settled.

Julia, the head maid, had selected a room for him with an excellent view, conveniently located near the staircase and the servants' quarters. However, judging by its position and size, the room looked less like a guest chamber and more like the master bedroom.

Once he confirmed the servants had placed his luggage in the wardrobe, Jenkins gave an ungentlemanly twitch of his nose. He sniffed the air twice, his eyes narrowing in thought for a moment, but ultimately decided not to raise the question.

Even though he had visited Ruen several times, this strange yet familiar northern capital still held many interesting places for Jenkins to explore. After lunch and a brief rest, the group set out from the city.

Dolores's wealth was staggering. Outside the city, she owned her own horse farm, manor, plantation, and farmstead. Her siblings all possessed similar assets, which was hardly unusual for members of the royal family.

Their destination was Dolores's plantation. Over the winter, Jenkins had mentioned the concept of "greenhouse cultivation" to her. While he himself only had a vague understanding and could only offer a flawed, general outline of the principles, the princess possessed more than enough manpower and resources to put the idea to the test.

And she had been at least partially successful: a small patch of flowers had managed to survive the harsh winter, and Dolores was eager to show him.

"I had originally planned on taking you to the Byron Opera House," Dolores explained. "Train journeys can be so tiring, and I thought our first outing should be something relaxing. But the opera house is undergoing last-minute repairs for the first day of the Ice and Snow Festival tomorrow. By the time I heard, it was too late to change plans..."

As the three of them alighted from the carriage and entered the plantation's greenhouse, Dolores was still apologizing for her oversight. Jenkins, however, wasn't bothered in the slightest. He usually slept through most operas anyway, and besides, he didn't feel fatigued at all.

"This arrangement is wonderful," Jenkins assured her. "Aren't we going to another opera house this evening? To be honest, I've always admired the traditional operas of the Hamparvo Kingdom. I'm sure it will be fascinating."

The one successful greenhouse was filled entirely with tulips. Even though Ruen was located in the southern part of the kingdom, the region was, in fact, ill-suited for cultivating these flowers in any season. To have kept this field alive through the winter was truly a small miracle. Follow current novᴇls on N0veI.Fiɾe.net

But Jenkins quickly discovered how this miracle had been achieved. As soon as he stepped inside, he felt an immediate temperature difference of at least ten degrees Celsius between the interior and the outside air. Given the materials used for the greenhouse walls, such insulation should have been impossible. A quick scan with his Eye of Reality revealed the answer: countless ritual arrays inscribed upon the walls and the translucent, colored glass ceiling.

The arrays included both spell-based and divine rituals. Though they were all relatively basic, completing so many would have been no simple task. Factoring in the cost of materials, the design of the arrays, and the structural limits of the walls, Jenkins suspected that the true value of every single surviving tulip probably exceeded ten gold pounds.

"It must be nice to be rich."

Jenkins confirmed this once again.

Dolores had grown these flowers merely out of curiosity and to pass the time during the winter, not for any commercial purpose. Now that spring had arrived and the weather was slowly warming, their value would only continue to drop.

But the princess paid such things no mind. She intended to give the tulips away as gifts to her friends during the Ice and Snow Festival.

"Yes, Her Highness does have friends... not many, mind you, and most of them probably have... other motives. But given her station, it's unrealistic to expect friends who want nothing at all."

Julia whispered this explanation to Jenkins while Dolores was bent over, inspecting the flowers that were practically worth their weight in gold.

"The last time you came to rescue Her Highness, some of those young ladies trapped in the room were her friends. If it weren't for them, she never would have attended that dreadful salon."

Julia hesitated for a moment, but seeing no objection from Dolores, she continued.

"Some of them have been asking about you recently. About the identity you used that day, that is..."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. Among the young women Jenkins had "rescued," a few had surely read too many courtly novels and become enamored with the idea of a hero sweeping them off their feet. It wasn't surprising, but Jenkins had no interest in them. And even if he had, nothing could come of it. After all, he could never replicate the appearance he'd worn that day.